If Iceland is not on your travel list, then I hope this blog post will convince you that it should be! When my sister asked if I wanted to go to Iceland with her, I was a bit apprehensive at first because I know it is a country that recommends driving (and I normally like to avoid driving, especially in other countries). I’m still in awe at how perfect and stress free this trip ended up being even with all the driving! I’ve created a travel guide that will ease your worries and give you some suggestions on how to experience the most beautiful spots in this country.
Where to Stay: My sister and I did a mix of “glamping” and AirBnbs. Below, I listed 4 out of the 5 places we stayed at because they were so unique.
The Golden Circle, Bubbles: This was more on the pricey side, but honestly, one of the coolest experiences I have ever had. It’s actually a tour, so they take you to multiple places with the last stop being the bubbles. My sister and I were the only ones who happened to sign up for the tour on that day, so we had VIP treatment, which included having the entire woods plus nine bubbles to ourselves. It sounded really cool until darkness fell upon us. At that point, we were anxiously waiting for light to enter our lives again. Luckily, the sun sets around 9:30PM and rises around 4AM, so it wasn’t too bad! Normally, this tour does sell out fairly quickly (especially during winter months), so this was just a very unique situation. Here’s a link to learn more and book if you’re interested: Bubble Tour
Airbnb, Tents: When I discovered these luxurious tents on Airbnb, I was very surprised to see that the total was only about $150 for the night. I really liked that they included electric blankets because it can get pretty cold at night. I thought it was perfect for one night, and I would recommend it for the experience. Click here for the link!
Airbnb, near Hofn: This place was very refreshing after “glamping” the previous two nights. It was stylish, chic, and very cozy! Also, the view was phenomenal! The reason we chose this Airbnb was because it was a convenient distance to our glacier lagoon tour as well as the famous Diamond Beach. Unfortunately, there are no restaurants nearby, so expect a 25-45 minute drive depending on where you choose. Luckily, they have small vendors/ cafes open during the day in the Glacier Lagoon parking area, so breakfast and lunch are covered. Click here for a link.
Airbnb, Reykjavik (near airport): This was one of the most unique experiences I’ve ever had in an Airbnb. The hosts live in the house and you essentially rent out a room. Joe and Esther were just the sweetest hosts. They made us breakfast–eggs, bacon, toast, and hashbrown. Also, an added bonus is the fact that its only 15 minutes from the Blue Lagoon and 10 minutes from the airport!
Places to Eat:
Kex Hostel (Reykjavik, Iceland) : I loved this place the moment I stepped foot in it. It’s a really trendy, hipster looking place with lots of great photo opportunities. We ordered a burger as well as fish tacos. As a Californian who is used to eating delicious fish tacos all the time, these were very unique and super tasty. They add tortilla chips and corn which added a very nice crunch.
Prir Frakkar (Reykjavik, Iceland): If you’re interested in trying some authentic Icelandic food, then you should etch out some time to visit. There were some very exotic options available, including whale, puffin, and horse! Our server did convince us to try puffin, which honestly reminded me of ahi tuna with a smoked flavor. For our entree, we went on the safer side and chose halibut, which had a lot of flavor and was so delicious. Prir Frakkar is a very cozy and intimate restaurant and is conveniently located in downtown.
The Soup Company (Vik, Iceland): If you’re craving something light and filling, then definitely pay this restaurant a visit. They make homemade fresh bread and offer unlimited refills the entire time. I ate one slice and was convinced I would eat at least 7 more. I ended up managing to scarf down a total of 3 slices. They have an assortment of soups available and I chose the curry cod soup (very flavorful).
Jon Riki (very close to Hofn, Iceland): As I mentioned, we chose an Airbnb that was not close to a city, so we had to drive about 20-25 minutes to get here. It’s a really cute, colorful restaurant with beautiful views of the mountains. They offer different types of food and even have their own microbrewery. I didn’t get any good pictures that would give this place justice, so you’ll just have to go and experience it for yourself!
Itinerary:
Day 1: We arrived in Reykjavik on Tuesday at 10AM and took the Grayline bus into downtown. It’s about $25 a person, and the easiest and most cost efficient way out of the airport. If you do use this bus, look out for individuals in orange vests located inside the arrivals section of the airport. Also, make sure to have your destination’s address handy, so the bus driver can recommend which stop is the easiest for you. We got into town around 12pm, and luckily, our Airbnb was nice and let us check in early. We napped for a couple hours, showered and hit up the town. The town is small so you can see a lot of the main attractions pretty quickly. We visited the Hallgrimskirkja (featured image), Harpa Concert Hall, and the Sun Voyager.
Day 2: Jetlag allowed us to wake up early and be out the door by 9AM. Since we had to check out by 11AM, we decided to take our luggage with us. We chose to keep our bags, but there are luggage lockers that can be found in the city if you need them. We decided to walk back to rainbow street and grab some coffee. There’s a bookstore on this road that has delicious iced coffee with oat milk and the baristas are super friendly! Truth be told, all the locals are super nice, so you can’t go wrong wherever you end up. After, we decided to head down to a famous hot dog stand, where even the locals rave about it. The mix of sauces they add on top of the sausage is just so good! It’s also very cheap!
We killed some time at a hotel until our tour guide for the Bubble Tour picked us up. If it’s within your budget, I highly recommend this tour. They have two tours: The Golden Circle and The South Coast. We chose the Golden Circle since we planned on doing the South Coast area on our own. They took us to 4 stops, which included Thingvellir National Park, Geysir Hot Spring, Gullfoss Waterfall, and the Secret Lagoon. We got dropped off at the Bubbles around 6:30-6:45PM, so plenty of daylight to just hang out and enjoy the wilderness.
Day 3: Our awesome tour guide, August, dropped us off at the Blue Car Rental around 10:30AM. I’m not going to lie, my anxiety levels were pretty high. I really was not looking forward to driving at all. Blue Car Rental was honestly the easiest car rental experience I have ever had. They allowed us to pick up our car two hours early, and they provided us with a 3 page pamphlet that gives all the information you need for navigating through Iceland safely. We ended up getting this cute little automatic Toyota Yaris. Manual cars are very popular in Iceland, so make sure to clarify which car you’re interested in driving. I quickly realized how easy driving is in Iceland. There is literally one main road (called The Ring Road) and everything is located off of it. Also, the landscape is constantly changing which keeps the driver entertained. I also appreciated the fact that our rental car had a ton of safety features, even warning us if we went over the speed limit. I strongly urge you to pay attention to the speed limits as they have speed cameras hidden throughout the country.
We had zero issues finding parking or any of the places on our itinerary. Also, I need to call out the fact that T-Mobile data was so reliable and FREE. My sister who has Verizon paid the $10 a day, and soon realized that her money was going down the drain.
On our way to Vik, we stopped at: Seljalandsfoss Waterfall, Skogafoss, Reynisfjara Beach (Black Sand Beach). Entering these destinations into your GPS is the easiest way to get everywhere.
Day 4: We woke up around 8AM, so we could get to our Glacier Ice Cave Tour by 10AM. For your information, the Arctic Adventure Ice Cave Tour does have a pick-up and drop-off option in Reykjavik; however, because we chose to do a mini road trip through the South Coast, we decided to meet them in Vik. I have to say this was one very cool experience! In August, it’s not snowy or cold by any means, but when you are in the caves, you really can’t tell. They take you into the mountains, which is a 45 minute off-roading experience. After, you hike about 7 minutes across rivers and rock into the mountains. I don’t recommend wearing Ugg Boots, which is what my sister decided to wear. They provide you with a helmet, flashlight, and spikes (for your shoes). Unfortunately, because it was raining very hard, I left my camera in the car, so most of the photos below are all Iphone made. I still think they were breathtaking. The entire experience is about 2 to 2.5 hours.
Once we arrived back in Vik, we decided to make our way to our next stop, which is about 45 minutes away from the main city of Hofn. Since our Glacier Lagoon tour was not in any of the cities, we decided to choose an Airbnb close to the location. We decided to head to Diamond Beach and check out the beautiful mini glaciers that float onto the beach. It’s so gorgeous!
Day 5: We woke up bright and early and headed over to the Glacier Lagoon Tour, 9AM. While we wished we could have stuck around and enjoyed the beautiful views from our Airbnb, we ended up getting VIP treatment (again!) during our tour, where we basically had an entire raft to ourselves. Normally, the tours fill up and there are 12 people to a boat. They provide a body suit that acts as a floating device, so for those who can’t swim (like me), fear not! Anyways, the glaciers were mesmerizing, and I definitely recommend taking this tour, if time permits. We were told that October and November are the best times to visit the glaciers; however, I was blown away by the views even in August. Also, we got to see some cute little sea otters in the water!
After the tour, we slowly made our way back to Reykjavik. We stopped at Fjaorargljufur, a canyon river, were we took a quick hike to see another beautiful view.
Funny story! For our last two nights, we purposefully chose an Airbnb that was closer to the Blue Lagoon as well as the airport, so imagine our confusion when we ended up in downtown Reykjavik. Long story short, it ended up being that we put the wrong address (a lot of the words sound and look familiar to foreign eyes, so be aware) in the GPS. We happened to be in town during one of the city’s biggest events, Culture Day where roads were blocked, streets were crowded, and people were drinking and eating. The incorrect address we had originally entered happened to have free parking, so we got very lucky and were able to enjoy the town’s festival.
Day 6: Since I knew we would be on the go for six days straight, I felt the perfect end to our trip would be relaxing at The Blue Lagoon. Unfortunately, there happened to be a rain and wind storm that day, so we didn’t get the full effect of the outdoor spa. However, it was still really nice and I would recommend it to anyone. It is a tourist trap, but it’s still really relaxing. I also recommend paying an extra $20 and getting the premium package. They provide a bathrobe and slippers as well as an extra face mask.
All in all, I liked how we spaced out our trip. It can get exhausting with all the driving to put too much into the itinerary. However, Iceland (at least the part we visited) is very easy to see so much in such a small amount of time. The best part is that the scenery is constantly changing, so the driver really won’t get bored. I hope you enjoyed this guide!
